Picker stick



April 7, 1925.

D. A. KEATING ETAL PICKER STICK Fileduune 19, 1924 W/MIIIIHM Patented Apr. 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

DANIEL A. KEATING, OF BRIDGEPORT, AND JAMES B. TATEM, OF PUTNAM, CONNECT;- CUT, ASSIGNORS 0F ONE-HALF TO THEAMERICAN TUBE & STAMPING COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION Oli CONNECTICUT, AND CNE-HALF TO JAMES B. TATEM, ADONGr BUSINESS AS JAMES B. TATEM & SON, 0F PUTNAM,

CONNECTICUT.

PICKER STICK.

T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, DANIEL A.,KEAT1NG and JAMES B. TATEM, citizens of the United States, residingat Bridgeport and Putnam, respectively, in the counties of Fair field and Windham, respectively, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picker Sticks, `of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to .an improved construction f of combination wood and metal picker vstick of the Vtype employed to drive the shuttle across a loom; and the object of this invention is the provision of a picker stick of this character having its upper end portion of wood and its lowerv end portion of metal, the metal being primarily for the purpose of vstrengthening that portion of the. stick which ordinarilyr breaks first, while the upper orwooden portion is for the purpose of providing the flexibility Irequired in a picker stick..

A further object of this invention is to provide the lower portion of the stick of metal formed into channel shape, the upper end of this metal portion being shaped toreceive the lower end ofthe Wooden upper portion and support yits front and rear edges against the hammering shocks of the shuttle. f

The invention further consists in the provision of a stil'lening member applied to the lower end of the metal portion for the purpose of providing a proper bearing' for the pivot pin when the stick is designed to beoscillated on a pivot or bolt. One of the forms of this construction is set forth and claimed in our copending application No. 758,337. l v

lith these and other objects in view, the invention consists ofV certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully de scribed, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. v

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation showing our improved construction of picker stick, the upper. portion being wood and thelower portion metal in channel form.-

Figure 2 is a. side elevation of our improved construction of picker stick.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional end View of the pivoted end of the stick onv line 3-3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 isa sectional end view of the stickon line 4-4t of Figure l.y

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a short length of a channel-shaped member which is designed to be inserted into the lower end of the metal portion of the picker stick.

Figure 6 isa modified.construction of picker. stick showing a blank having an extending end portion from which the lower end of the metal portion lof the stick may be'formed. Y

Figure 7 is a sectional side elevation of the lower end of a picker stick showing the extending portion of the blank as folded to forma short length of opposite cooperating' side bearing wall at'the lower end of the stick. Y f

' Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional end elevation on line 8 8 of Figure 7@ Figure 9 is another modification illustrating a filler piece of wood or the like inserted into the channel at the lower end of the stick Ito provide a bearing for the pivot pin. v

It is found inthe practical construction and operation of picker sticks that, when made entirely of wood, their operating life, owing to the severe hammering strains to which they are subjected, is very short, and it is also found of advantage to strengthen the lower portion of the picker stick to prevent excessively rapid deterioration.

It is also found necessary in the construction of picker sticks to provide a certain degree of resiliency which has heretofore been found in the usual picker stick of hickory. Therefore, in order to obtain, at once, the vrequired strength and also the yieldability, we have formed a picker stick having its upper portion of wood where the greatest ,resiliency is required, and its lower portion of metal where its greatest strength is required. By this construction, when one portion of the stick is destroyed a fresh part may replace the broken one and connectedto the unbroken portion; and the following is a detailed description of one embodiment of our invention by which these advantageous results may be btained :7.-

lVith reference te the drawings, 10 designates the upper portion of our improved construction of picker stick which is formed of wood, usually of hickory, the same being preferably rectangular in cross section, larger at its lower end 11 and tapering towards its upper end 12.

rlhis wooden portion is preferably formed of a length substantially one half of the entire stick, but We do not wish to be limited to any particular proportions as its length may be of any desired propertion of the whole length of the stick. The lower portionof our improved picker stick is herein shown as being in channel form as at 13,

the body portion .of the channel bein-g prefer-ably open. This .channel-shaped member may be formed in any desired manner, of any `desired material and of any desired shailiiev in .cross section, but we preferably form the same of she-et metal and fold this metal to provide one side wall 14, a rear wall or flange .15, and a front wall or flange 16.

The upper endv of this channel member is preferably forme-d to receive and lit the lower end 11 of the wood and the front and rear walls 15 andrlG, respectively, are arranged to provide a substantial backing tov both the front and rear edges of the. wpod to support the same while acting upon the shuttle. This sticlr is preferably secured in the upper end of the channel member by means of bolts or rivets 17.

"When this picker stick is designedto be mounted upon a pivot pin, we preferablyy reenforce its `lower end in various ways to receive and support the pivot pm on which it is designed to oscillate. ln some in-Y stances, we provide a short section of channel member 1S, as illustrated in Figure 5, and insert this with its flanges 19 set in between the front and rear edges 15 and 1G of the main channel member, and we also pierce the side plate Q0, of this member and the side plate 1a of the main channel member to form cooperative bearing open.- ings 21 and preferably force the stock about the hole inwardly as at 22, to provide an extending bearing surface for the pin.l This short section of channel member 1S may be secured by any suitable means in the main channel member but `we preferably spot weld the same as at 2,3 through the adjacent edge or flange portions thereof.

Another construction by which this additional bearing portion may belformed on the lower end of the main channel member is, as illustrated in Figures 6, 7, and 8, which is that of providing an elongated integrali tongue member 24, on the end of the side wall ,14 and fold this tongue member first laterally to provide an end wall Q and then upwardly to provide an opposite wall 26 which portion is adapte-d to set in between the front and rear edge walls 27 and QS of the main channel member and these side walls 14 and 26 are then pierced as at 29 and the stock about .the piercing turned inwardly as at 3() to .provide extending bearings for the pivot pin.

In still other cases, as illustrated in Figure 9, a. block of wood such as lignum vitze, or the like, may be inserted between the front and rearedge walls and 16 of the channel member through which a hole 30 is formed to receive the pivot pin on which the stick is .designed to oscillate.

Vile do` not wish to be limited to mounting our improved picker stick tov oscillate u-pen a pivot pin as Aother suit-able means for sup.- perting the lower end may be employed.

A picker stick of `our improved .construction isvery simple and practical to mann.-

Sii

facture, is effective in its operation andl its working life over that of the usual all-wood picker stick is greatly .extended and at. .the same time it vprovides the required resiliency for receiving the shocks and effecting the throw of the shuttle. Y

The foregoing description is directedl solel. towards the construction illustrated but we desire it to be understood that we reserve the privilege of resorting to. all theV mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being delinedand limited. only ,by the terms of the appended claims.

Ve claim: y

1. A picker stick having substantially its upper half of woody and substantially its lower half of a single piece of metalchannel form in cross section with yieldable edge walls, the lower end of the wood extending but a short distance into thel upper end of the channel and pressure exerting fastening members extending through the opposite edge walls .of the channel causing said walls tov spring inwardly and bind the wooden end between them, the lower end of the .metal portion being provided vwith spacedv apart oppositely disposed side walls and edge walls. Y

2. A picker stick having its upper portion of Wood and its lower portion of a single piece of sheet metal folded into channel form in cross section, the lower end of the wood extending but a short distance into the upper end of thechannel, and a supporting member substantially U-shape in cross section inserted into the lowerend of the channel to provide anextended bearing for its pivotV pin.

3. A picker stickliaving substantially its upper half of wood and substantially its lower half of sheet' metal folded into channel shape, the lower end of-the metal portion being provided with spaced apart oppo sitely-disposed side walls and edge walls.

4L. A picker stick having its upper portion of wood and its lower portion of sheet metal folded into channel shape, the lower end of the metal portion being provided with spaced apart oppositelydisposed side Walls and edge walls, said side walls being pierced to receive a pivot pin.

5. A picker stick having its upper portion of wood and its lower portion of sheet metal folded into channel shape7 the lower end of the metal portion being provided with spaced apart oppositely-disposed side walls pierced to receive the pivot pin, said walls about the pierced openings being turned inwardly to provide extending bearings for the pin.

6. A picker stick having its upper portion of wood and its lower portion of sheet metal channel-shaped in cross section, its upper end closely embracing the lower end of said wood, a member secured in said channel member near its lower end 'to provide a short length of opposite side wall, both of said walls being pierced and having por tions extending inwardly about the piercings toprovide an extended bearing for a pivot pin.

7. A picker stick having its upper portion of wood and its lower portion of sheet metal folded into channel shape, the lower end of the wood fitting closely into the channel, and a short sec-tion of channel member secured in said main channel member adjacent its lower end to pro-vide spaced apart side bearing walls.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

DANIEL A. KEATING. JAMES B. TATEM. 

